


I Found Serenity

by PrettyBirdWrites



Series: I Found Serenity [1]
Category: Firefly AU - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Explicit Language, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Minor Violence, Non-Canon Relationship, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:01:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27403177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyBirdWrites/pseuds/PrettyBirdWrites
Summary: We find a young female working on a ship carrying a shipment of medical supplies headed to a new planet called Tress, but things don't seem to be going to plan.Based on the Show Firefly - this is an AU fanfic
Relationships: Original female character/Wash
Series: I Found Serenity [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001955
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter  One

I was working on a cargo freighter ship, it’s name was something too long and obnoxious for me to commit to memory. I only took this gig to get me to the new colony on the planet Tress. We were transporting medical supplies for the new hospital that would be finished about the time we touched down. It was in high demand already and the damn thing was not even finished yet. It would seem the local wildlife on this planet was not too happy about the co-inhabitants that had taken over.

Did I agree with charging people a high price for medical supplies that were in high demand? No, not at all. But the pay was good and Tress promised to be a place where farming could bring a lot of good for these families. I had been out in the ‘great blackness’ or whatever you would like to call it, for a long time. Most of my life actually and the thought of living on solid ground for a while was quite unsettling to me. I decided to lay down for a little while and sleep off a little bit of my anxiety about this new hostile world. I used my duffle bag as a pillow and a crate to rest against.

I was awoken when a large jolt shook the ship. My fellow crew mates started to panic and run about yelling and screaming at each other. Some of the crates had fallen over in the cargo hold, they must have been improperly secured. Through all the chaos, I felt a shift in the air in the room. It was almost as if the airlock had been broken. Suddenly everything stopped, no more sounds from the engine room, no more wooshing sound from the air ducts. Even the cries of my fellow crewmates had stopped. Everyone stood frozen in place.

"You all need to drop any weapons you have and take a seat. We are here just for the supplies. If you all cooperate, no one will get hurt." Said a blond-haired man in a colorful shirt. 

I had seen shirts like that in pictures from a time long almost forgotten. I took off my belt that had my gun, my knife, and extra ammo and tossed it on the ground. I left the knife in my boot, a girl can't get rid of all her protection in a time like this.

They had two young females with them, one holding a gun who looked very uncomfortable doing so, the other looked like a wild creature trapped in a child-like body. The young wild spirit who they called River, was asked to scan us to look for anything out of place. She must be a gifted one. Her eyes locked on mine. In the oddest of ways, I felt her find the knife in my boot, but she didn't say anything about it. Like she understood my fear.

I lowered my eyes to look at the ground as the blond man came near me. My palms were pouring sweat and I had a strange whooshing sound starting in my ears.  _ Oh dear God, don't let me faint. _ The man stopped in front of me and made a comment about how he had never seen such a beautiful lady on a cargo ship before. Unfortunately, my prayers went unanswered. As he reached out to pull my chin up to get a better look at my face, I only got a small glimpse into those grey-blue eyes before the darkness was all I saw.

* * *


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When she passed out Wash caught her and then wanted to bring her on the ship for medical attention, would Mal allow a stranger to be brought onto his ship just because Washe was insisting on it?
> 
> Based on the Show Firefly - this is an AU fanfic

Wash reached out to catch the woman as she fell. He looked around for Mel, “Mel, I think we are going to need to take this one with us.” He picked her up and started to make his way toward the hatch they used to board the ship.

  
Captain Malcolm Reynolds looked at his pilot, “Whoa, look I know the loss of Zoe is still fresh. Hell, I still feel her loss myself. But this is not going to fix it.” Wash had lost his wife during a raid that had gone poorly. Both Mal and Wash blame themselves for not being with her at the time. “Take her to go see Doc, and if she can carry her own weight then she can stay. Everyone earns their keep while on my boat!” Mal shook his head looking at the beautiful unconscious female in Wash’s arms.

Wash quickly made his way back onto Serenity, he clutched the girl to his chest while quickly walking to the med bay. The rest of the crew had questioning looks on their faces when they approached Mal.

“Now don’t you all go looking for a playmate to take home!” He made sure the medical supplies were ready to move back to his own cargo hold.

A young man stepped forward stating that he would be willing to help to secure safe passage to another planet.

“Sorry, but my crew roster is now very full. Good luck getting where you need to go.” With that Mal turned on his heel and followed a stack of crates being moved up the ramp and into his ship.

Once he reached the Med bay, Wash yelled for the Doc to get his attention. "Hey, Doc… you in here?"

Dr. Simon Tam and his sister River are the newest members of the crew. Wash and the Doc had grown quite close while trying to save his late wife's life. But Zoe was just too far gone. Wash laid his the girl down on the table and was about to tell for Simon again when he appeared. 

Simon walked into the room, but seeing the girl on the examination table began checking her out. He looked at her pupils and took her pulse. "Pupils are even and reactive, she has a strong heartbeat and her breathing seems a little shallow but not hindered. What happened?"

"We were doing the normal thing of taking weapons and the such. I happened to reach out to lift her chin and she fainted." 

"I will need a moment to examine her, you might want to help the others bring in the medical supplies, I might need some." Simon needed Wash to leave the room so he could get a closer examination done. 

He wondered why Mal had allowed her on board, it was a little out of character for him. Unless they were looking to fill the empty spot in the team. Maybe Mal had seen some potential that Simon wasn't aware of.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew began getting things in order so they could set a course for Tress, the medical supplies still needed to be sold to the new hospital there in order to turn a profit. This was of course after they took what they needed. 
> 
> This is a Firefly AU fanfic. I am currently rewriting my original fanfic and posting here as well as on Tumblr. Please enjoy.

Kaylee watched as her dear friend Wash walked past her with his head hung low. She had hoped that he would have found happiness by now. 

River came up to her and whispered. "His heart is ready to love again." River smiled and walked away to find something to do. Kaylee and River are very close, Kaylee looked after her like a sister would. She had romantic feelings for Simon and felt a need to lessen the burden that he placed upon himself when it came to River.

Kaylee walked to the medical wing to see River walking down the hall eating an apple, that girl sure does love her apples. Kaylee peeked into the medical area to see Simon checking the heartbeat of the strange woman that has seemed to enchant Wash. 

"She sure is pretty." Said Kaylee. 

Simon jumped and started to fumble around at the sight of Kaylee. He was in love with her but was too shy to express it. "She is just not wanting to wake up. I can't find anything wrong with her that would prevent her from waking up." 

Kaylee walked over and grabbed a blanket off the counter and laid it over the sleeping female. "What can we do to help her?" Kaylee wanted her friend Wash to be happy once again. The whole crew has not been the same without Zoe and maybe this was the answer to their sorrow. Kaylee had to believe that if River felt she was a good thing to have on the ship, then there must be a reason.

With the medical supplies secured on the ship, Mal, Jayne, Kaylee, and Wash began the needed steps to disengage from the cargo ship so Serenity could start her journey to Tress to sell the medical supplies for a fair price and finders fee. Wash stopped by to see how the Doc was coming along with his new Patient. 

"Wash, she is not wanting to wake up. We must find a way of making her want to wake up. I suggest we talk to her as much as possible and try to reach her subconscious." Simon told Wash, patting him on the shoulder as he walked by.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting to dream while in a coma, she hears voices from those around her. 
> 
> This is a Firefly AU fanfic. I am currently rewriting my original fanfic and posting here as well as on Tumblr. Please enjoy.

I was in a strange place, I could hear faint voices talking about needing me to wake up. But I was so afraid that I kept running away from the sounds. It was like I was in a building full of hallways and doors, each room was empty and dark. so I just kept running. Until a vision appeared in front of me at the end of one hallway. It was the young wild-eyed girl from the cargo ship, I recognized her. 

"You must go to him." She said to me. "We need you as much as you will someday need us. Without you, we will not make it." With that, she faded away.

I backed away from where her vision had appeared, and a new door had become visible, this time it was locked. I felt in my jacket pocket and I felt a key. I tried it in the lock and it went into the handle with ease. It turned with a loud click that echoed through the empty space behind me. I could hear voices on the other side of the door, but they no longer were frightening to me. They were soothing, almost as if I needed to go to them in order to be safe. I twisted the handle and the door sung open, bathing me in bright white light. I shielded my eyes from it with my hands. The light felt warm on my face like I remembered sunlight to be.

I felt a hand on my back push me through the door opening, then I saw darkness again. It was still warm, and I could still hear the voices calling to me. But I could no longer see anything. That is when I realized that I was waking up from a dream. I was starting to feel all of my extremities, and they hurt!

* * *

Wash set Serenity on course to the delivery site, he had gotten the location from one of the members of the cargo ship. They seemed very grateful to be left alive and were willing to help. They already had been paid so the cargo was not of their concern anymore. He flipped some switches on the console and disengaged the ship from the transporter. 

Simon went to go check on River and make sure she was not causing any trouble. Kaylee found a chair and brought it over next to the bed where the unknown female lay sleeping. 

"I wish I knew your name. But I will sit here and keep you company while we travel to the new colony to sell off the medical supplies. We were able to restock our medical goods and the rest will be sold to the new hospital. I am not sure if you were just a hired hand, or if you were traveling to the new planet. I don't know about you, but the thought of staying on land for too long just doesn't feel right to me anymore." Kaylee took the girl’s hand and held it in hers while she chatted on. She talked about how she found her way onto Serenity and became a member of this tight little family. "We are very close, and love each other just like kin. And we also fight just like families do. Jayne seems like a brute, but he is sweet when he needs to be."

She told her about how Inara was the person to go to for love advice. Mal wanted to seem like a hard-ass, but deep down had a heart of gold. "He let you come on the ship, that shows he cares. He will want you to carry your own weight around here when you are well enough to, but he means well and wants the best for his crew."

While Kaylee chatted away she missed the very slight movement of the sleeping girl's eyelids. This chatter was just what she needed.

* * *


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew lands on Tress finally, as a few of the crew members take interest in the sleeping passenger in their medical bay. 
> 
> This is a Firefly AU fanfic that I wrote a few years ago. I am in the process of rewriting it. Also being posted to my Tumblr.

Wash landed Serenity at the location that was given to them by the crew of the cargo ship. Just as promised there was medical personnel there willing to pay good money for their medical items. Mal collected the money and they set off. He liked it when they didn’t have to fight for a good outcome.

It was time for the crew to gather in the kitchen for some well-earned dinner. Kaylee had cooked up something delicious and even made an extra bowl to take to the medical wing to see if she could wake up sleeping beauty with the smell of some hot food. Wash said he would take it and rushed off to see her. He has not been able to escape to visit yet since he first brought her to see the Doc. No one at the table said anything about the fact that Wash rushed off without touching his own dinner. Jayne kept an eye on the bowl of untouched food if left unclaimed for too long… It was a fair game.

Wash stood in the doorway of the medical wing for some time just holding the warm bowl of stew and watching her sleep. He set the bowl down on the counter, then sat down in the chair next to her bed. Slowly he reached out and softly brushed the tips of his fingers over the back of her hand. As he traced small light circles over her skin he started to tell her how lonely he had been since Zoe had died.

What he didn't see was a pair of dark blue eyes from behind long lashes. Her eyes were only about halfway opened due to the very bright lights in the room. She watched him as he chatted away. Simon wandered into the room causing her to shut her eyes in fear of being discovered. Simon turned off some of the lights and placed a reassuring hand on Wash’s shoulder. "Talk to her about anything and everything. You never know what might be the thing she needs to hear in order to trust us."

Alone once again, Wash began to tell her how beautiful he thought she was. He stood, slowly walking out of the room. The now cold stew sat forgotten on the counter. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she opened her eyes to watch him walk from the room. Her eyes caught the sight of River standing just inside the doorway, watching her.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the sleeping female finally wakes up she is curious about where she is and wanders about the ship, but that might have been a mistake.

I felt the hot tear roll down my cheek as I watched the handsome man with soft hands walk from the room. His eyes were full of pain, it hurt me to stay silent, but my fear kept me frozen. I looked around the room and was startled to see the wild eye girl standing just inside the doorway watching me. 

The girl slowly walked towards me. In a soft calm voice said "You need not fear them. They have not hurt me yet and I have given them plenty of reasons to do so." I didn’t know if I should believe her or not. "I know you don't believe me, but you will watch and see." With that, she left the room.

I put my shaky feet on the floor and wrapped the blanket around me. I realized that my boots would make noise on the metal floor and removed them. Now barefoot and dizzy, I wandered through the ship in the dark. I could hear most of the crew still in the dining area talking about the easy trade with the settlers. ‘Thank the stars no one was killed.’ I thought to myself. I walked the other direction from the crew and found myself at the bridge. I could see the kind blond-haired man sitting at the flight panel with his head in his hands. He made a sniffing sound that indicated that he was crying. Before I could stop myself I was standing next to him with my hand on his back.

He got very still and then without thinking he wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in my stomach and began to sob. "I need you to stay with me." 

I ran my hands through his hair and tried to soothe his broken heart. "I will stay with you," I whispered. I then realized that getting up that soon had been a grave mistake. The whooshing sound started to come back and my feet felt numb. " I need to lay down." I was able to get out. 

He stood and picked me up. Instead of taking me to the med bay, he took me to his bunk. It was right off the bridge and he knew we would not be disturbed there. It was a spacious bunk that had been the room he had shared with his late wife.

I felt warm and secure when I started to awaken. I felt strong arms around me and a snoring man laying beside me. I smiled and settled into his arms. I was safe, I was warm. I felt… at home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew voices their concerns.

When Mal woke up he wanted to talk about where they would be headed next. They had been given a legitimate job this time. Sitting around the table already was Kaylee, Jayne, Inara and Simon. Simon had a concerned look on his face. 

"What is the issue already this morning Doc?" Mal was not looking forward to starting out the day with a petty fight.

"Our new crew member was not in the medical bay this morning. And we have not seen Wash out of his bunk yet." Jayne was snickering and Kaylee turned red. 

Mal just looked at the Doc and asked, "So, what is the issue?" 

Simon was worried that Wash was not thinking. Just at that moment Wash walked into the room with a whistle on his lips.

Inara being very familiar with this change in a man's outlook on life asked Wash what had made him so happy. 

"I have found my Angel. I still don't know her name yet, but I have heard her voice, and she promised to stay with me. She snuggled into me for warmth last night and I kept her safe. Why are you all looking at me like that?" 

Mal was the first to say something. After taking a sip of his bitter coffee, "Wash, are you thinking of her well-being and health, why did you remove her from the medical wing?"

"I didn't, she came and found me on the bridge last night. Not sure how she knew to find me there but she did." It was at that point that they all stopped talking when River pointed across the room. Standing there wrapped in a blanket and by the looks of it not much else was their newest crew member. 

"Ummm, good morning Darlin’, would you care for some coffee?" Asked Mal while trying not to stare. 

"No thank you. But I would love some tea." 

The only person on the crew who had tea was Inara, "I have some wonderful tea, would you like some clothes as well?" They walked to Inara's shuttle and tried on different things until they found out that Inara was much smaller than she was.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inara and Kaylee give her a change of clothes and help her get cleaned up. Now she is on her way to go find Wash when she spots something that might cause a little issue between her and another crew member...

Inara was being very sweet to me, but nothing that she had fit me. I would have put my other clothes back on, but they were very dirty and had rips and tears in them. We wandered down to Kaylee's bunk, she was just my size. Kaylee was very sweet to let me borrow something, and to be honest, was something I was more comfortable in anyway. Inara dressed with such care and was very ladylike. Her long silken dresses were just not for me at all.

"I know they are not pretty, but they suit me fine." said Kaylee with her sweet charm. She dressed in pants or coveralls. She had put little patches and stitched cute little objects on them. So they were functional with a female charm, just like Kaylee herself. 

I had never been one to wear dresses or paint my face. It was more about function and comfort for me. Inara and Kaylee helped me brush my hair and pull it back out of my face. 

After I washed up a bit and I was able to get something to eat. I felt as if I had to hurry to go find Wash, I felt I needed to talk to him. I gave Kaylee a hug and thanked her for the clothes.

"Next port we stop at, we will have to trade some things to get you some stuff of your own." Kaylee said to me as I left her room. I climbed up the ladder and into the hall. I looked towards the back of the ship, then towards the helm, I wonder where he would be. I wish I had been able to keep myself from passing out while on the other ship. My bag had my own clothes and a few things from home in it. Not that I cared to remember my ‘home’ but my own clothing would be nice.

I still had the small knife in my boot but had lost my gun and my hunting knife. Both had meant something to me. I was ready to chalk it up on the list of many items I had lost in my life so far, it seemed to be the theme of my life. I had learned a long time ago that trying to chase the items I had lost was like trying to hold onto a ghost, they were just gone. But, It was at that moment that Jayne learned just what I was made of.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jayne has a run-in with the new crewmember.

Jayne was admiring his new guns and knives from their most recent raid on that freighter ship. Being a former hired gun this was like Christmas morning for him. One in particular was this beautiful hand engraved revolver. Jayne was too busy looking over his spoils that he missed the glint of a blade just on the other side of the shadowed room. In an instant, Jayne had that blade at his throat and hot breath in his ear.

"Why must some people TAKE what is not THEIRS? If you wish to see the light of tomorrow I would slowly drop that revolver." 

Jayne now knew who's gun this was. It seemed the new crew member had a past she wished to keep hidden. The blade was removed from his skin and the revolver returned to its rightful owner. "So, just when were you going to tell us?" Asked Jayne rubbing his neck and checking for any signs of blood.

"Don't bother, this blade is as dull as your personality. I would have to put some effort into killing you." She said with a sweet smile. 

Jayne didn't like being bested by anyone let alone a female. "I knew that." He said and went back to cleaning his new weapons. "Again, when were you going to tell us you were worth some money." 

Once a long time ago, he would have been right. "I hate to burst your bubble, but the land where I am, as you say 'worth money' is long gone." She cast her eyes down to her feet. "There is no one left, only me. You are right in thinking that at one time I was used to fancying dinners, clothes, and respect." With that, she stood and walked away.

Jayne was still not convinced that they wouldn't have some people on their tail one day asking for this female back, but for now, he would just keep his mouth shut. Mal and he have gone rounds before and he knows better than to question him. River had seen this exchange and she smiled. She had also taken a blade to Jayne shortly after arriving on this ship. Even though her mind was still clouded she knew that she would be fast friends with this new crewmate.

River left to go find Simon, she had to tell him about how she wants the new person to be her friend. He always hopes that she will have an attachment to someone. He is very protective of her since all the horrible things the Alliance did to her head. Her gifts came at a steep price and she pays for them every day.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wash and Mel talk to the new girl, to see if she is ready to go on the next mission. Then the crew decides to have a game down in the cargo hold to blow off some steam.

Wash and Mal were discussing the course to take for their next job. Neither one of them was expecting a woman dressed in fresh clothes to come walking into the room at that very moment. She had a revolver in a drop leg holster and a big hunting knife on her other hip, she was ready to help on their next mission. Both men couldn't help but stare as she walked around the room looking at all the gauges. 

"Ummm, it's good to see you back on your feet. Feeling better I take it?" Mel asked her once he was able to speak.

She looked Mal over from head to toe before answering. “I am well enough, I wanted to talk to you about what you need from me to earn my right to be on this ship?"

Wash wanted to assure her that her place on this ship would never be in question, but Mal beat him to it. "Well, thanks to the persuasion of your bunkmate here, you need not worry about your place amongst my crew. But we do have a job coming up soon, how are you with those weapons?"

"Ask Jayne how I took this revolver from him.” She paused as Mal’s eyebrow went up. “Don't worry, I can hold my own." She smiled at the men, blew a kiss to Wash, and left the room to go find Kaylee. She needed a female to talk to about her feelings for Wash. She was not expecting to have these strong feelings so quickly. She needed to secure her place here and if she could also secure her place by his side then that would be just the thing she needed to finally feel at 'Home.'

She wandered around the ship for a while, not being able to find anyone in their bunks or in the mess hall. She could hear some noise coming from the direction of the cargo hold, so she headed there next. Kaylee and the gang were playing some sort of game with a ball. It looked like a fun way to burn off some energy and some steam. Jayne eyed her a bit and she put out her hand for a handshake. 

"I would really like to be friends, here is to a fresh start." She said to him as she shook his hand.

Jayne still didn't know if he could fully trust her, but if this meant he didn't have to worry about getting a knife to the throat anytime soon, then he was willing to let bygones be bygones.

Mal came down to see what all the hollering was about, "And why did no one bother to tell the Captain it was game time?" 

Next thing all but River and Inara were into the game. Even straight-laced Simon found himself pulling off his dress shirt to join in on the game. There didn't seem to be any rules or a scoring system, but laughter and fun were had by all. The only goal of this game seemed to be a little bit of time without worrying about the danger that rested just on the other side of their next job. Even the legitimate jobs had their risks and everyone there knew that. This distraction was just what they all needed.


End file.
